Spring 2009 - Siena College

Siena
SIENA NEWS • A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • SPRING 2009
A Faithfully Executed Plan
Saints Prove
They Belong
in National
Spotlight
INSIDE:
Capturing History
Conor Geary ’09
reports from President
Obama’s Inauguration
Surviving The
Massacre
In Mumbai
Peter O’Malley ‘88
holds on to faith in
nightmare experience
from the president
A Siena College education
has never been about
merely sitting in a chair
and listening to a lecture.
It’s about being engaged
Message from
the Editors
It is our hope to make Siena News
with knowledge, finding
more valuable to you by providing
the value in individual
features, stories and items that you
talents and being involved
find of interest. We would like the
in the learning. What I
magazine to be a dialogue between
am trying to say is Siena
the College and Siena’s proud alumni.
students, alumni and faculty don’t know how to sit on
the sidelines.
Cheering on others to win championships, winning
championships, being a part of a major historic moment,
In the last issue we held the first in
a series of contests to involve alumni
and friends. Please see the results of
“Are You the Ultimate Siena Family?”
on the inside back cover of this issue.
producing hit plays or testifying as an expert to Congress is the
Congratulations to the Papa Family!
mark of a Siena education. These are the real-life stories that
We received a lot of positive feedback
Siena community members have written for themselves—and
regarding this contest and thank the
they are only a few examples of the achievements occurring
numerous alumni who contacted us.
daily on our campus.
We want to know what would you like
In your individual successes, Siena finds its success. You are
the stories that show the world Siena is a leader in Franciscan,
Catholic liberal arts education. You are the engineers of the
small college that could.
to see more of in future issues of Siena
News. Please call us at 518-782-8300 or
e-mail communications@siena.edu to
let us know.
Jim Eaton and Allison Maloney ’06
Fraternally,
P.S.- Don’t forget to follow us on
Facebook and Twitter to get the
latest news on Siena College!
Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.
SIENA 2
contents
2008 - 2009 Board of Trustees
18 A Faithfully Executed Plan
4 Capturing History
Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85
*Bradley Bodmer, Esq. ’82
*J. David Brown
Michael Bucci ’73
Robert F. Campbell ’66
Beverly A. Carroll
Robert M. Curley
Robert T. Cushing ’77
Susan Law Dake
Virginia L. Darrow ’83
John J. Dawson, Esq. ’68
Scott C. Donnelly
Howard S. Foote ’74
Robert L. Guido ’68
Douglas T. Hickey ’77
Rev. Kenneth R. Himes ’71, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Gary C. Holle ’77
Edward J. Johnson ’63
*Walter T. Kicinski ’62
Alberto C. Mariaca ’60
Rev. Jerome J. Massimino, O.F.M.
Pamela McCarthy
Robert J. McCormick ’87
Rev. Dominic V. Monti, O.F.M., Ph.D.
James J. Morrell ’66
Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.
John F. Murray ’79
John J. Nigro
Very Rev. John F. O’Connor, O.F.M.
Walter A. Osterman ’87
Joseph M. Pastore, Jr., Ph.D.
Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr.
*Mark S. Rose ’65
Rev. Peter A. Schneible, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Michelle M. Schoulder ’99
*David M. Stack ’73
Christine L. Standish
Br. Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D.
Dennis L. Winger ’69
*New Trustees
Siena News - Spring 2009
Published by Siena College
515 Loudon Road
Loudonville, NY 12211-1462
E-mail: communications@siena.edu
8 Surviving the Massacre
in Mumbai
departments
On Campus News | 12
Saints Corner | 18
Gift Planning | 26
Faculty News | 22
Alumni Connection | 25
Alumni Class Notes | 27
• Publisher: Delcy Fox
• Editors: Jim Eaton, Allison Maloney ’06
• Contributing Editors: Jodi Ackerman Frank,
Conor Geary ’09, Christine Maccarone ’10,
Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., Peter
O’Malley ’88, Jason Rich ’98, Lynn Ryan
and Jack Sise ’75
• Director of Art and Design: Sergio Sericolo
• Alumni Class Notes Design: Jean Higgs
• Alumni Class Notes Editor: Janice Goca
and Victoria Abdulla ’07
• Photography: Athletics Office, Dave Boswell ’12,
Conor Geary ’09, Lisa Heimerle, and
Sergio Sericolo
• Printer: The Lane Press, Burlington,Vt.
SIENA 3
An all-star concert, a blacktie gala and speeches by Colin
Powell and Al Gore. These are
just a few of the events that
Conor Geary ’09 experienced
during the ceremonial events
that led up to the inauguration
of Barack Obama as the
44th president of the United
States. Geary, former Student
Senate president, attended the
University Presidential Inaugural
Conference, hosted by the
Congressional Youth Leadership
Conference. In the following
entries, Geary takes us through
some of his memorable moments
in his journey to Washington,
D.C., to witness the historic
inauguration of our nation’s first
African-American president.
Conor Geary
- Class of 2009
- Marketing and management major
- Philosophy minor
- Former Student Senate president;
studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland
- Loves his family, acting, traveling,
laughing, and making others laugh
By: Conor Geary ’09 Edited by: Allison Maloney ’06
January 17: At 9:33 a.m., my Amtrak train left New Haven
Union Station in Connecticut bound for Richmond, Virginia. This train would
bring me to the U.S. Capitol for one of the most historic events in my lifetime. For
one of the first times in my life, I have decided to keep a record of my activities and
interactions. I fear that an opportunity like this is about as once-in-a-lifetime as it gets.
I am attending the University Presidential Inaugural Conference. From Saturday to
Wednesday I will be attending panels, events, keynote addresses, galas, parades, and more. I
will listen to Al Gore, Colin Powell, Democratic strategists James Carville and Paul Begala,
and political commentator Tucker Carlson. I will be cold, I will be tired, but I will be a part
of history.
I am traveling alone and yet there is this remarkable feeling that I have gotten today
that quite literally has sent chills down my spine; all of the people that will be a part of my
memories in these next five days are all separately converging in Washington, D.C. We are
alone, yet together, and I haven’t even shaken my first hand yet.
January 17:
My train is very late. I’m not sure if it is a curse or a blessing, but
President-elect Obama’s train is in front of us. He is making stops in some communities
and closing down every street in his way to do so. This is causing some serious delays.
But this is of no concern, according to the conductor, as this provides us the perfect
opportunity to make friends with our
fellow passengers.
I see police patrolling the cities and
towns as the train passes through. They
are lined every quarter mile or so along the
tracks. Dump trucks are blocking roads; a
helicopter hovers overhead. There is a buzz
in the air in preparation for something big.
I find it exciting, despite my hunger and
reluctance to purchase something to eat
from the snack car.
Opposite page: Conor Geary’09
(left) with friends outside of the
White House.
Above: Inauguration attendees
waited over six hours to enter
the National Mall.
Left: Geary was one of many
conference students who
gathered at the Callanan
Field House.
Below left: Geary’s view of
General Colin Powell and
(below right) Vice President
Al Gore during the
Inauguration ceremony.
January 18:
I’m at the University of Maryland. The alarm went off this morning
at 5 a.m. The hotel is teeming with future leaders of America. From Conference members,
I get all the familiar questions: Where do you live? Where do you go to school? What
do you study? Have you been to a conference before? Before long, the answers fade and
now we just recognize that the other person is cordial, friendly, and seemingly normal.
This means we can hang out later.
Luke Russert, the son of the late NBC News journalist Tim Russert, spoke last night.
Despite how far away from the stage I was, I picked up that most of his talk was on the
importance of the youth vote in American politics, especially in November 2008.
Presently, hundreds of scholars are filtering into the University of Maryland’s Callahan
Field House, home of the Terrapins. The stage is impressive, the background music a bit
… out of place? (“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar just came on.) It is
7:20 a.m. and we are awaiting a speech from Colin Powell. Not a bad start to a Sunday, if
you ask me. Our seats are pretty good. (“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles begins.)
January 19:
We just left the Callahan Field House where Al Gore spoke to us.
He was not quite as enthusiastic as General Powell was yesterday, but nevertheless it was
remarkable to hear a former vice president be so emphatic about the importance of youth
action over the next 20 to 30 years.
Yesterday, some new friends and I went downtown after listening to James Carville
and Mary Matalin, as well as Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala. I must say that Mr. Carlson
was much more entertaining and
impressive than I expected.
We also went to the Mall and
saw the concert that included
U2, Beyoncé , Usher, Bruce
Springsteen, Outkast, Josh
Groban, Garth Brooks, Stevie
Wonder, Shakira, Sheryl Crow, and
more. I took photos and listened
to Barack Obama speak. It was an
amazing experience. Tears came to
my eyes at one point. People were
singing, cheering, smiling — it was
the American dream. I also saw
football player Emmitt Smith at
McCormick’s Irish restaurant and
seafood bar. Dreams come true,
Above: President-elect Barak
Obama addressing the
National Mall during
the concert.
Left: Onlookers gatthering
in preparation of the
Inauguaration.
Below Left: Geary’s view
of the Inauguration.
Below right: First Lady
passing by in the
presidential motorcade.
although I didn’t realize it in time to shake his hand and thank him for introducing
me to football.
Today I heard journalist Anya Kamenetz speak on the economy and debt, as well
as Eugene Jarecki (filmmaker of Why We Fight) on political philosophy. He was
very good and forward in his remarks. He gave me permission to publish his poem
in Siena’s Promethean and addressed my question on the ability to have a unified
“we are one” nation, given the intrinsic divisiveness found in the American political
structure of Democrat vs. Republican vs. Independent.
We are 12 hours from the inauguration, and I found out that we will be included
with the general public where it’s every man, woman and child for themselves. It
was not what we expected, but the people I have met are making up for it.
The students are amazing: fun, entertaining, anxious to learn new things and meet
new people; they are hopeful for our role in the coming months and years; they are
at times cynical, but what leader isn’t? Even if there are just 5,000 of us, we are 5,000
strong people who know what it takes to make a difference. We know what it takes
to ask hard questions. We know what it takes to be leaders — even if we lead from
the general admission section.
Tonight a few of us are going to try to stay up all night in the city so that we can
get the best “seats” possible at the inauguration.
January 20
: Yes, I was freezing. Yes, I was very, very far away from the stage
and our new president. It is still an experience I will never forget. The photos tell
the story better than I can at this point. I think it hasn’t fully sunk in yet what I just
witnessed — an extraordinary moment in our country’s history.
Above and left: Scenes
from the Air and Space
Museum at the UPIC
Inaugural Black Tie Gala.
SIENA 7
Indian soldiers stormed the
last hideouts of Islamist
militants in Mumbai leaving
By Peter O’Malley ’88
Edited by Jim Eaton
164 dead, hundreds injured
and the country’s prime
minister pointing the finger
of blame at “external forces.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 26, my
friend Eugene and I arrived at the
Taj Hotel in Mumbai, as we have
done together hundreds of times in
our travels as New York investment
bankers living in Hong Kong.
As I placed my bag on a table in the
hotel lobby I heard a loud gunshot,
which I recognized from my years
living in South Africa to be the
distinctive snap of an AK-47 assault
rifle. Hearing another shot a second
later, I looked at Eugene and
said, “Run!”
We ran from the gunfire toward
the nearest exit as the terrorists
were entering the hotel lobby from
various points. I pushed through the
doors toward the pool area outside
and ducked into some bushes as the
gunfire grew in intensity. I realized
Eugene did not make it out of
the lobby.
Surveying the scene brought the
dispiriting conclusion that I was
trapped, surrounded by 12-foothigh walls on all sides. I noticed an
air conditioning duct about nine feet
above me. I was able to leap and knock
the cover away. I jumped again and
grabbed onto the unit, but as I tried
to pull myself up, I fell, causing the
people in the bushes to hush me.
A quick aspiration to the Holy
Spirit — “Come, O Holy Spirit, fill
the heart of thy faithful!” — and then
another leap upward. This time I was
able to grab on and pull myself up
over the wall where I flipped onto
a lean-to roof of the pool shed. I
concealed myself with tree branches.
Breathless, I e-mailed my colleagues
in London from my Blackberry.
“Urgent, This is not a joke. At Taj
Hotel in Mumbai. Gunmen on loose.
People killed. Call police.” Then I
turned off my phone, thinking a ring
could give away my position and bring
on a quick and violent death.
The minutes passed, while screams
and sounds of gunfire continued.
I began to pray to St. Michael the
Archangel: “St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle. Be our protection
against the wickedness and snares of
the devil.” I also prayed the first of
many rosaries to see my way through
what had suddenly become the
single most shocking and desperate
experience of my life. I knew that if I
was to get through this, it would be
the Lord’s doing.
Suddenly, I noticed hotel busboys
down below secreting people out of
the pool area via a trapdoor on the
deck. I decided to join the five or
six people being ushered down into
the hole, and followed them silently
through a labyrinth of stairs and twists
and turns that ultimately led out into
the second floor business center of the
hotel. We entered a room where about
70 other souls were huddled together
in common terror.
The scene around me was surreal.
Some people were drinking tea,
seeming to ignore our plight. Others
I racked my mind
and heart for a few
pearls of wisdom to
leave my three
small boys that
would edify
and sustain
them in a
life without
their father.
were crying and simmering just below
the level of panic. My resolve was to
keep my senses and continue praying
for inner strength. It was possible
that this siege could last several days,
so keeping my wits about me was
imperative.
I hurried off an e-mail to my mom
and dad, thanking them for my life
and everything else they’d given me.
Then I e-mailed my wife and sons:
“Thank you, Celeste, for being my
best friend and soul mate. I love you!”
I racked my mind and heart for a few
pearls of wisdom to leave my three
small boys that would edify
and sustain them in a life without
their father. Asking the Holy Spirit
for guidance, I explained to them that
life was a gift, and that they should do
their best to enjoy that gift. I urged
them to take care of their mother,
each other, and their community —
and not to be afraid to discern their
vocations. I counseled them to keep a
daily prayer life and live the norms of
piety we’d taught them. “Live life to
the fullest, boys, and stay in a state of
grace.”
My heartache — and heart rate —
increased as the gunfire drew closer. I
approached the headwaiter and quietly
asked him if I might slip out the
back stairs, as my corporate security
indicated I should leave the building
immediately. The man assured me that
we were secure, but the look on his
face betrayed his fear and uncertainty.
He then huddled with his two
busboys while I positioned myself by
the back stairs.
A moment later, the busboys
announced that they would begin
allowing some folks to slip out. This
instantly created a mad rush toward
the stairs. Though I was positioned
near the doorway, a lovely Indianaccented chorus arose, saying,
“Women and children first!” Ah, but
of course! I gulped and stepped aside.
After about a minute, men began
cutting the line. After some dozen
men had cut in front of me, at a point
when most of the women had gotten
out, I joined the outflow and was able
to escape.
I am obviously lucky — and
very blessed. I learned later that
the business center was attacked by
gunmen some five minutes after I was
able to escape. I also learned that my
friend Eugene had been shot in the
lobby, but thankfully he will make a
full recovery. Colleagues and friends
have asked how I feel after such a
trauma. I tell them I am fine — shaken
but fine. At the end of the day, I am
convinced that bona omnia fecit (all
works for the good). I forever will be
inspired by the staff of the Taj, who
were polite, courteous and courageous
throughout the ordeal. They saved
hundreds of lives, many sacrificing
their own in doing so.
Why has God allowed me to live
on? I have no idea. But at this point,
the thought that will not leave my
mind is, “From him to whom much is
given, much is expected.” I pray that I
can live up to His expectations.
SIENA 9
The Heart of the Siena Campus
By Jim Eaton
The year 2009 marks the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan friars. Today the friars
continue to have a strong presence at Siena College despite national trends (see “Friars Underground
Marketing” story on CNN’s Website). Below is a list of friars associated with Siena College as well as
their contact information. Send them an e-mail; they would love to hear from you!
Friars Currently at Siena
Guardian of the Friary:
• Br. Brian C. Belanger, O.F.M.
(bbelanger@siena.edu)
Director of International Programs
Vicar of the Friary:
• Fr. Capistran J. Hanlon, O.F.M.
(hanlon@siena.edu)
Sociology
• Fr. Ambrose A. Donehue, O.F.M.
(adonehue@siena.edu)
St. Francis Chapel
• Fr. Mathias F. Doyle, O.F.M.
(mdoyle@siena.edu)
Franciscan Center for Service
and Advocacy
• Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M.
(kmullen@siena.edu)
President of the College;
Religious Studies
• Fr. Daniel C. Nelson, O.F.M.
(dnelson@siena.edu)
Psychology
• Fr. Daniel P. Dwyer, O.F.M.
(ddwyer@siena.edu)
History
• Fr. Kenneth P. Paulli ’82, O.F.M.
(kpaulli@siena.edu)
Chief of Staff
• Fr. Peter A. Fiore, O.F.M.
(fiore@siena.edu)
Scholar in Residence
• Fr. Reginald J. Reddy, O.F.M.
(reddy@siena.edu)
St. Francis Chapel
• Br. Romuald Chinetsky, O.F.M.
Siena College Friary
• Br. Linh Hoang, O.F.M.
(lhoang@siena.edu)
Religious Studies
• Fr. Blaise F. Reinhart, O.F.M.
(breinhart@siena.edu)
Economics (Emeritus)
• Fr. Matthew T. Conlin, O.F.M.
(conlin@siena.edu)
President Emeritus
• Fr. Gerard Lee, O.F.M.
(catglee@aol.com)
Director of St. Francis Chapel
• Fr. Dennis E. Tamburello ’75, O.F.M.
(tamburello@siena.edu)
Religious Studies
• Fr. Kevin Daly, O.F.M.
(kdaly@siena.edu)
Campus Minister
• Br. Walter Liss, O.F.M.
(wliss@siena.edu)
Residence Life; Computer Science
• Fr. John E. Van Hook, O.F.M.
(vanhook@siena.edu)
Philosophy (Emeritus)
• Fr. Julian A. Davies, O.F.M.
(davies@siena.edu)
Philosophy/College Archivist
• Fr. Gerald Mudd, O.F.M.
(gmudd@siena.edu)
St. Francis Chapel
• Fr. William Beaudin, O.F.M.
(wbeaudin@siena.edu)
College Chaplain
• Fr. Richard Biasiotto, O.F.M.
(rbiasiotto@siena.edu)
St. Francis Chapel
SIENA 10
Friars Formerly at Siena:
Where Are They Now?
• Br. Larry Anderson, O.F.M. (landerson@siena.edu)
(Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy; Foundations)
Holy Name College, 1650 St. Camillus Dr.,
Silver Spring, MD 20903-2559
• Fr. Lawrence D. Ford, O.F.M. (LarryFord87@netscape.net)
Holy Name of Jesus Friary, 207 West 96th Street,
New York, NY 10025-6393
• Br. Michael Harlan, O.F.M. (mharlan@hnp.org)
(Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy)
Holy Name Province, 129 West 31st Street,
New York, NY 10001-3403
• Br. Gary Maciag, O.F.M. (gary.maciag@alum.mit.edu)
(Creative Arts) St. Anthony Shrine, 100 Arch St.,
Boston, MA 02110
• Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, O.F.M. (mackin@msmc.edu)
(President Emeritus; Religious Studies)
Mount Saint Mary College,
Newburgh, NY 12550
• Fr. Sennen San Fratello, O.F.M.
(English) Fr. Sennen passed away on Oct. 2, 2008.
May he rest in peace.
• Fr. James F. Toal, O.F.M. (toaljim@gmail.com)
(Vice President) St. Anthony’s Friary,
357 Second St. N.,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701-2941
Fr. Laurence P. Rainville, O.F.M.
Fr. Laurence died on April 12, 2009. He was
a professed Franciscan friar for 66 years who
helped establish the Siena College computer
science program and bring technology to
every aspect of the academic experience
at Siena. May he rest in peace.
Send an e-mail, communications@siena.edu if
you have a story about a friar who impacted
your life at Siena College.
SIENA 11
School of Business Announces M.S. in Accounting
Approximately 6,000 Siena College graduates have participated
in the undergraduate accounting program, which includes a focus on
ethical and professional leadership skills. Today, Siena alumni serve as
managing directors or partners in most of the public accounting and
consultancy firms in the greater Capital Region and beyond. This fall,
Siena College will enhance its tradition of excellence in the accounting
profession with the addition of the Master of Science in Accounting
(MSA) program.
“Siena College provided me with a strong accountancy and ethicsbased foundation that has prepared me for today’s corporate and
community challenges. The Siena experience is essential to career
development,” said Howard Foote ’74, managing director and chief
financial officer of UHY Advisors. “I am enthusiastic about the
opportunities the MSA program will afford Siena students. This new
program will provide future leaders in our industry with a competitive
advantage and collaborative tenor that are required in today’s
ever-changing business environment.”
The MSA program, which will allow students the opportunity
to take the CPA exam, is a full-time, one-year commitment that
comprises eight required three-credit courses and two electives.
The classes will allow highly qualified students to take part in
internships and gain experiential knowledge of organizations and
a broad view of the accounting profession. In addition to meeting
the 150 credit-hour requirement of most states, the program is
designed to enhance the presentation and communication skills of
the candidates while strengthening their technical knowledge of
accounting, auditing and taxation.
For more information about the new graduate program in
accounting program or to discuss the admission application process,
contact Eugene Farley, director of Master of Science in Accounting
program at 518-782-6865 or efarley@siena.edu.
SIENA 12
Siena and Albany
Medical College
Announce Physician
Assistant Program
Albany Medical College’s
Center for Physician Assistant
Studies (CPAS) has partnered with
Siena College to offer students
an early-acceptance opportunity
into the medical college program.
Eligible students, who may apply
during their junior year, must
complete 1,000 hours of healthcare
experience prior to enrolling in
the CPAS program.
The Siena College/Albany
Medical College Program for
Science, Humanities and Medicine
began 25 years ago under the
direction of Ed LaRow, Ph.D.
The success of this program led
to the idea of instituting CPAS.
“This is another healthcare career
opportunity for our talented
science students to pursue their
goals,” LaRow said.
Siena Hosted 22nd Annual MLK Lecture Series
The Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King
Lecture Series on Race and Nonviolent Social Change is
one of the longest running and most successful Capital
Region lecture series. This year, the featured speaker was
teacher and social critic Michael Eric Dyson Ph.D.. Dyson
delivered his keynote speech to a packed house in the
Alumni Recreation Center on April 7 – three days after the
anniversary of Dr. King’s death.
“It could be argued that it was King’s death, not his
birth or life, that launched his voice across the ages. It
was through death that King’s words on truth, justice and
challenge have echoed through these past 41 years,” said
Peter Ellard Ph.D., chair of the lecture series.
Dyson, a prolific author, scholar, public intellectual,
ordained minister, media commentator and talk radio
show host connected with the audience of all ages. He
talked about how far society has come from the dreams of
Martin Luther King, Jr., but also pointed out that President
Barack Obama is not the fulfillment of King’s dream. “He
is, instead, a significant signpost along the way. In King’s
eyes, it is a promise of the future, not the present,”
Dyson said.
Earlier in the spring semester, on Jan. 16, more than
800 people attended two events as part of the Martin
Luther King, Jr. celebration at the College. The day
kicked off with the fourth annual STOP (Students Together
Opposing Prejudice) Conference in which 190 students
and 25 teachers from 19 area middle and high schools
participated. The conference was filled with workshops in
which students discussed their own experience of prejudice
and biases in their schools. Trained facilitators coached
the students on how to recognize and defuse difficult
situations, as well as how to build communities of tolerance
within their schools.
In the afternoon, more than 600 children, parents
and grandparents attended the annual presentation
of art, essays and poetry created by Capital Region
school children describing leadership in the 21st century.
Portraits of Dr. King, President Obama, police officers,
doctors, teachers and other people representing ordinary
citizens also were displayed. These works of art also were
displayed during Dyson’s presentation in April. Participants
in the series of events connected the larger issue of the civil
rights movement with their lives today.
Above: Sculptor Patrick Morelli, NAACP Regional Director
Anne Pope and Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D. with Morelli’s
“Behold” sculpture. Left: Featured speaker Michael Eric
Dyson, Ph.D. addressed a crowd of more than 750 people
in the Alumni Recreation Center in April. Below: Members of
the Union Missionary Baptist Church Mass Choir performed
at the 22nd Annual Martin Luther King Lecture Series.
SIENA 13
SIENA 13
Award-Winning Play
Featured at Siena
In March, Stage III Theatre performed Doubt, the popular Tony
award-winning play by John Patrick Shanley.
The play, set in the St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx
in 1964, is a drama about breaking from ironhanded tradition.
Although sexual abuse is a central theme, the play also is about the
courage one must find in making the right decision when the risks
are high.
“Siena students were the perfect candidates for putting on such a
challenging and controversial play,” said Ralph Blasting Ph.D., dean
of liberal arts who directed the play at the College. “What better
place than Siena College to successfully tackle a play that is centered
in a Catholic school.”
There was no controversy in finding campus support for the play.
The friars served as active advisors, assisting in the production.
“The friars acted as consultants for the production, giving help to the
young actors, including advising those who played nuns on what to
do with the rosaries around their necks,” Blasting said.
The production drew rave reviews from those who attended the
performance.
SIENA 14
Club Hockey Nets Fifth Championship
Saints Men’s Hockey Team Enjoys Storied Season
The men’s hockey team
finished the season ranked
third in the nation with a 28-6-2 record. This is the second
consecutive season that they were Super East Collegiate
Hockey League (SECHL) champions, ranked first in the
northeast region and made a return trip to the final four of
the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II
National tournament.
Their season ended in Grand Rapids, Michigan
where they finished one game short of the school’s first
appearance in the championship game. The Saints began
the opening day of pool play with an 8-1 win against
DePaul University. The Saints then went on to defeat
Kennesaw University by a score of 7-0 and Weber State
5-2. Throughout the three days of pool play Siena was led
by the goaltending of Adam Brown ’10, defense of Brian
Biagioli ’09 and Andrew Bullard ’10, and offense of Nick
Orlando ’09, Chris Harjung ’11 and Dave DelSonno ’09.
The Saints advanced to the semi-final round to face
Florida Gulf Coast University, a team they had defeated
earlier in regular season play. Unfortunately they lost this
time around and concluded their season ranked third in
the nation. This is the best national ranking the program
has ever attained.
The season was filled with numerous individual
accomplishments including:
l Head coach Lee Bormann won his 100th game in his fourth year with the team.
l Goalie Adam Brown ’10 and Forward Chris Harjung ’11 were named to the All-national Second Team.
l Adam Brown ’10, Andrew Bullard ’10, Joe Garnet ’12, Rob Duhoski ’10, Chris Harjung ’11, Dave DelSonno ’09,
Nick Orlando ’09, Andrew Fiore ’12 and Erik Reinfried ’10
were named to the SECHL All Star team.
l Josh Baillargeon ’12, Julian Carney ’11, Rob Duhoski ’12, Pete Lucchesi ’11, John McMahon ’11, James Rotan ’11,
Garrett Blair ’10, Nick DeMarte ’12, Chris Harjung ’11,
Pat Markiewicz ’10 and John Romeo ’09 were named to the SECHL all-academic team (3.3 GPA
or higher).
l The collective team GPA was 3.04.
Due to the interest on campus the hockey team now has a
B-Team which allowed another 30 student-athletes who did not
make the cut for the hockey team an opportunity to participate
in a club sport. Siena now has approximately 60 students
participating in the men’s hockey program.
SIENA 15
Students Attend Prestigious
Leadership Conference
In late January, Siena College students
attended the U.S. Naval Academy’s 25th
Annual Leadership Conference
in Annapolis, Md. Siena College
was one of 33 civilian and seven
military colleges represented
at this invitation-only event,
which gathered students
from across the country to
discuss leadership and its
contemporary challenges.
Four Siena students (Caroline
Cleveland ’09, Kristen
Petherbridge ’10, Kelly Patricia ’10
and Courtney Lynch ’10) and a faculty
representative LTC Andy Morgado,
professor of military science and leadership) represented
the College at the conference to discuss this year’s theme,
“Generational Leadership.”
Keynote speakers included Maryland Governor
Martin J. O’Malley; Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler,
superintendent of the Naval Academy; BAE Systems
Chief Operating Officer Walter Havenstein; Charlie
Wilson, former U.S. representative; and Vice Admiral Ann
Rondeau, deputy commander of the U.S. Transportation
Command. Throughout the conference, participants
grappled with the thematic question of, “How do we
lead across the generational gaps, and do core leadership
characteristics stand against the test of time?” Though there
may not have been a consensus on how generational gaps
are to be judged, students came away from the conference
with an appreciation for some common characteristics of
leadership and techniques to employ in their daily lives as
leaders on their respective campuses.
Preserving the Green
The Office of Facilities Management conducted a
comprehensive audit to determine how much
material the Siena community is recycling. The
numbers and materials are listed below, along
with a few facts about the positive environmental
impacts the campus has achieved so far. The
numbers represent an annual total.
As a result of Siena’s recycling efforts on campus we:
From left to right: Caroline Cleveland ’09, Kelly Patricia,
Barrett Turner (USNA ’09, Sponsor), Kristen Petherbridge,
Courtney Lynch ROTC member and senior in the
School of Science.
SIENA 16
• Recycled enough paper to save 27 million sheets
of newspaper, the equivalent of saving 2,200
mature trees from being cut down.
• Saved enough energy to power 103 homes.
• Created enough landfill space for the disposal
needs of 1,000 people.
• Saved enough gas to drive 86,800 miles in a
vehicle that gets 28 miles per gallon of gas.
• Saved 907,000 gallons of water, or enough fresh
drinking water to meet the needs of 403 people.
Reilly Honored as Distinguished
Member of the Year
U.S. Congress
Approves
$250,000 for
Mentoring
Program
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko’s
office has announced that
$250,000 has been approved for
the Siena College Mentoring
Program as part of the House’s
FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations
Act. The program matches Siena
students with underprivileged
children in the local area and gives
them an opportunity to learn
from one another. The children
and mentors spend time with each
other on Saturdays participating
in activities like bowling, skiing,
basketball and other activities that
bring the group together. They
have been doing this since 1965
when the program was originally
founded as Big Brothers Big
Sisters.
The projects were submitted
by Rep. Michael McNulty, who
retired last year, and carried
through by Tonko. “These
projects will continue to lay
the ground work for research,
innovation and community
outreach at local colleges and
universities,” said Tonko. “We
are grateful to Congressman
McNulty for initiating these
projects.” The bill is now in the
U.S. Senate for consideration.
The Empire State Society of Association Executives
named New York State Broadcasters Association
President Joseph A. Reilly as Distinguished Member of
the Year. Reilly was honored at a dinner in February at
the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany. In 2007, the two
hubs of Siena’s broadcasting program were dedicated as
the Joseph A. and Carol M. Reilly Broadcast Centers in
recognition of Reilly’s gift, his work as president of the
Association and in memory of his beloved wife, Carol.
Siena and
McCaffery
Extend
Contract
Head Men’s Basketball
Coach Fran McCaffery
has agreed to terms on a
new eight-year contract
that is scheduled to keep him in
Loudonville through the 2016-17 season. McCaffery has led the Saints to
an 86-43 record in his four years with the program.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my first four years at Siena and am very
proud of all that we have accomplished,” McCaffery said. “The continued
support of the administration and Siena community has made this place a
very special home for me and my family. I look forward to building upon
our recent success, while continuing to develop young men of character
who represent Siena’s mission and values in the most positive
way possible.”
McCaffery guided the Saints to a 27-8 overall record in 2008-09 and a
second consecutive MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament win.
The 27 wins equaled a program record and marked the most ever in the
Division I era. The Saints were ranked #28 nationally in the final ESPN/
USA Today Coaches Poll – their highest final national ranking since
turning Division I in 1976. The Siena men have posted three straight
20-win seasons for the first time in their Division I history.
“It was important that Siena show it is committed to the basketball
program and its head coach,” Director of Athletics John D’Argenio said.
“We are extremely pleased that the College and Fran have agreed to a new
contract that is a win-win for both of us. What has been accomplished the
past two seasons is unmatched in Siena’s rich basketball tradition. We look
to continue moving forward and adding to that tradition.”
Siena returns four of five starters and seven of the nine members of its
2008-09 regular rotation to next year’s team, which ranks 20th nationally
in the rivals.com early Preseason top-25 poll.
SIENA 17
A Faithfully
Executed
Plan
By Jason Rich ’98
Famed sports columnist Bob
Ryan of the Boston Globe
began his Sunday column
March 22 as follows: “Siena
may be a nice, little, 3,000student school run by the
Franciscans, but this is no
‘Miracle of Loudonville.’ This
is the culmination of a plan.”
The plan Ryan was referring
to was the well-documented
one put in motion when head
coach Fran McCaffery arrived
COVER STORY
on campus in April 2005. But Ryan easily could have been
referring to a less-organized accord reached last summer, when
sitting in the courtyard outside their boutique hotel in Venice,
the Siena basketball team began to wonder aloud about the
upcoming season. “We have the opportunity to do something
special,” senior co-captain Kenny Hasbrouck ’09 told his
teammates. They discussed the possibilities until the early
morning hours, reliving the success they had achieved a few
months before in the NCAA Tournament, after winning the
2008 MAAC Championship at Times Union Center. As this
season unfolded, they would never talk publicly about their
high aspirations, buying into McCaffery’s one-game-at-a-time
mantra. But the goals for the year would be settled upon on
SIENA 19
SIENA 20
the banks of the
Mediterranean,
some 4,000
miles from New
York’s capital
and each would
be achieved
eight months
later. Players
learned more about
themselves on the court,
as well as off, during the
13-day, five-game trip of a lifetime.
Most important, the trip enabled team members
to get to know one another and, as the year
unfolded, this chemistry was readily apparent to
anyone who saw the Saints play. “I think people
enjoyed watching this team play so much because
they saw how hard these kids worked and they
saw how unselfish they were on the basketball
court,” McCaffery said. The Siena team had
another quality that fans readily identified with
— character. In a time when student-athletes
are often making news for the poor judgment
they display, the Saints captured the nation’s
attention with heartwarming stories and a genuine
awareness of their true purpose at the College and
their subsequent roles in the community. The
Saints embodied Siena’s mission, and in so doing,
admirably represented the College. The fact they
did so while achieving extraordinary heights on
the court proves winning the right way is not
only possible, but rather the expectation at the
smallest school in this year’s NCAA field. Once
considered an “NCAA Cinderella,” Siena showed
this year that it could compete with any team in
the country throughout the season and defeat it
when situation mattered most. Armed with their
highest tournament seed (#9) after the program’s
first-ever back-to-back MAAC Championships,
the Saints topped Ohio State in a double-overtime
thriller in Dayton, Ohio, for their school record
27th win of the season and program’s fourth win
in the NCAA tournament. Two days later they
pressed top seed Louisville to the limit before
succumbing in the final moments. It wasn’t the
first time the program has advanced to the second
round and beyond, but this run seemed to catch
everyone’s attention. “They’ve got terrific talent,”
Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino said. “And the
good thing for Siena is that most of these guys are
coming back again. Siena has now joined the ranks
of Xavier and Gonzaga in terms of the types of
players they’re getting and the types of teams they
have. They can go into the Big East right now and
be in the middle of the pack and hold their own
with any of us.” And if not the Big East, Siena
has faith that the Saints will be holding their own
wherever their lives lead them.
SIENA 21
Wendy Pojmann, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, presented her research on migrant
women March 31- April 2 at a public international conference in Italy. The conference proceedings,
hosted by Loyola University Chicago and the Center for American Studies in Rome, were held at Casa
Internazionale delle Donne (International Women’s Center) and the Center for American Studies in
Rome. One of the highlights was a presentation and discussion by Egyptian writer and women’s rights
activist Nawal El-Saadawi and Italian Senate Vice President Emma Bonino. Pojmann, who has been a
faculty member at Siena since 2005, received her Ph.D. in history from Boston College and a bachelor’s
degree in history from Loyola University Chicago. She is the editor of the collection Migration and
Activism in Europe since 1945 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). Lori Marso, professor of political science at
Union College, calls the book a “must-read for anyone hoping to understand the issues facing
immigrant communities in Europe.”
Allan Weatherwax, Ph.D., professor of physics, has been
SIENA 22
appointed to the Polar Research Board of the National Academies.
Established in 1958, the Board exists to promote excellence in polar
science and to provide independent scientific guidance to federal
agencies and the nation on science issues in the Arctic, the Antarctic,
and cold regions in general. Polar science includes the study of sea
ice and polar ice sheets, the structure and movement of high-latitude
oceans and the interactions between air, sea, ice and the plant and
animals that live in the coldest regions of the world.
Weatherwax has conducted geophysical research in Antarctica
and the Arctic region since the 1990s, and he has served as principal
investigator or co-investigator under numerous National Science
Foundation and NASA grants. Currently, he directs optical, radio
and magnetic experiments in Antarctica, Canada and Greenland. He
also is co-director of the satellite mission Firefly that will explore
the mysteries of gamma rays produced by lightning discharges.
The Weatherwax Glacier in Antarctica is named in his honor to
recognize his research efforts in the Antarctic. Weatherwax holds a
Ph.D. in physics from Dartmouth College.
Major Matthew Chambers,
ROTC instructor at Siena,
has been honored with the Colonel Leo A. Codd Memorial Award
for being one of the most outstanding ROTC instructors in the
country. The annual award is presented to nine ROTC instructors
selected from more than 1,500 instructors serving at 400
Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC training detachments
nationwide. The award recognizes excellence in leadership,
mentorship and teaching efforts. Each recipient is selected
from junior officers (not above the rank of major/lieutenant
commander) who are instructors in the ROTC program
across the country. Chambers was nominated by cadets
in the Mohawk Battalion. “Major Chambers has been an
icon, a mentor and a friend who has provided me the
guidance, motivation and technical skills to become an
Mahmood Karimi-Hakak,
excellent army officer and leader,” said Charles Waters ’12. The
professor of creative arts, has been
award is in memory of the late Colonel Leo A. Codd, who devoted
granted a Fulbright fellowship to work
his life to the principle that the “the best guarantee of peace is
in residence at the University of Tel
a strong United States.” Codd, a ROTC graduate, was a strong
Aviv for the academic year 2009-
lifelong supporter of the ROTC program.
10. Only two Fulbright positions
are available in Israel annually.
Karimi-Hakak was one of five finalists
recommended by the American
Fulbright Commission. The final
selection was made by the United
States-Israel Education Foundation.
Karimi-Hakak will be working at
the Center for Iranian Studies at the
University of Tel Aviv, where he will
be teaching and directing in the
theatre department.
SIENA 23
Cutler Tapped as Expert by Congress and the Obama Administration
Since his book was published last September, the expertise of Len Cutler, Ph.D., professor of political
science and pre-law advisor, has been sought after by the U.S. Congress and the new administration.
Cutler, whose book is titled
Developments in the National
Security Policy of the United States
Since 9/11, was asked to testify to the
Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by
Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin),
on “restoring the rule of law” in the
presidency. Cutler has now been
tapped as an expert by the U.S.
Department of Justice’s Office of Legal
Counsel to comment on issues facing
the new administration, including
torture, rendition and the closure of
Guantanamo Bay.
In his testimony to Feingold’s
committee, Cutler recommended
moving away from the Bush
administration’s views on national
security and the role of the executive
branch. “After the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks, the Bush
administration viewed national security
law and policy to be the exclusive
province of the executive branch of
SIENA 24
government,” said Cutler. He went
on to say that Congress has failed to
demonstrate a leadership role on issues
of terrorism.
Cutler also took exception to the
Military Commissions Act of 2006,
which he said has removed a vital
check against the executive branch,
allowing people to be detained by the
United States indefinitely without
charges, and it may have made laws
against torture unenforceable.
“It is essential that Congress
step up and develop a sound legal
framework and process that addresses
these concerns. It is essential that, at
a minimum, Congress and President
Obama revisit the controversial and
hastily enacted and flawed FISA
Amendments Act of 2008, as well as
the 10 principal deficiencies that exist
in the Military Commissions Act of
2006,” said Cutler.
Much of Cutler’s discussions
with the Department of Justice have
focused on rendition, which he said
the Obama administration is leaning
toward approving, but he hopes
it will not be allowed. Rendition
allows the United States to send
captured terrorist suspects to other
countries for interrogation and allows
these countries to use interrogation
techniques not allowed under U.S.
law. He also said that the Military
Commissions Act could work, if it
is properly amended. If the law is
eliminated entirely, then the terrorist
suspects will be placed in the U.S.
criminal court system, which is not an
attractive alternative, said Cutler.
Decisions on these topics have
not been made yet by the Obama
administration, likely due to a current
focus on the economic crisis. What is
known is that Cutler’s expertise has
been recognized in the highest levels
of U.S. government and his voice has
been heard.
Alum Takes Show to Broadway and E! Television
By Christine Maccarone ’10
Above: Frank D’Agostino ’81
with 1994 Olympic Gold
Medalist Figure Skater
Oksana Baiul on the red
carpet prior to the opening
of their Broadway musical
“Cold as Ice.”
Frank D’Agostino ’81 is the mastermind behind the popular
Broadway musical, “Cold as Ice.” D’Agostino, who graduated
from Siena with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management,
was one of the first students at Siena College to earn a minor in
theatre. Today he is living his dream.
“Siena instilled confidence in me to pursue my passions and, as
a result, I have been able to combine my business knowledge that I
learned at Siena with my artistic endeavors,” he said. “It is, after
all, called show business.”
The musical, written and composed by D’Agostino, centers
around the lives, challenges, difficulties, accomplishments and
pressures of six national ice skaters, including Oksana Baiul
(Maya), the 1994 Olympic gold medalist from the Ukraine.
The play has earned rave reviews. “The music and lyrics by
Frank D’Agostino are pleasant and melodious, which is more
than can be said about some of the current crop of Broadway
productions,” said Roy Bradbrook of Entertainment in the
Hamptons.
D’Agostino is a former competitive figure skater and coach,
so the old adage “write what you know about” applied
to his musical, performed on a stage of ice.
Due to the popularity of the show, D’Agostino, along with
Baiul, will be piloting a new reality show for E! television, which
follows the performers as they rehearse and create the show.
“Siena taught me to follow my dreams and my journey of
writing and producing for the last 20 years has been magical,”
D’Agostino added. A song from his show best sums up his life
experiences: “All my life I dreamed of this and now the
moment is here.”
Lisa Chelkowski ’02,
one of six siblings who
are all linked to Siena
College as past, current
or future students,
was inspired by her
family to write a book
titled The Sisters. The
book chronicles the
adventures of sisters
Lena, Tina and Lucy
who are best friends.
They enjoy playing
with dolls, running
around outside and
pretending to be
grownups. Like all
sisters and friends,
they have their
disagreements and get
in trouble when their
parents disagree with
their creative thinking.
This is Chelkowski’s
first book. She earned
a bachelor of arts
degree in English
at Siena.
Krill-Hondros Hosts President’s Reception
Last December, Margaret Krill Hondros ’82 and
her husband Paul (board chairman, St. Joseph’s,
Pennsylvania) hosted a “Welcome the President”
reception at their home in Villanova, Penn. Following
the reception, all attended the Siena vs. St. Joseph’s
men’s basketball game at the Palestra in Philadelphia,
where Siena rallied in the second half to win a thrilling
game at the buzzer, 75-74. All of the above wore
smiles (including Paul ... thanks for being a good
sport!) in the arena following Siena’s victory.
(left to right) Helen Krill, Stephen Krill ’57, Fr. Kevin, Margaret and Paul
SIENA 25
Create Your Legacy with a Gift of Real Estate
Many donors have utilized their real estate to create a legacy at Siena College.
Here are three ways to do this.
Please note that names have been change in order to preserve confidentiality.
1. Make a gift … retain
the use of the property.
2. Make a gift … create
a stream of income.
3. Outright gift.
“Mary,” a friend of the College,
owned a residence and wanted to
make a gift to Siena in order to
endow a scholarship in her late
husband’s name. After discussions
with her financial advisor and the
planned giving staff at Siena, she
transferred the residence to the
College and retained the right to
live in the house for the rest of her
life. She directed the College to
sell the property upon her death
and use the proceeds to endow a
scholarship in her late husband’s
name. In addition to creating
this legacy, Mary received a large
income tax deduction in the year
of the gift, the real estate was
removed from her estate and her
children will not have to worry
about administering the real estate.
“John” owned a piece of rental real
estate which he had considered selling.
He was interested in making a gift
to Siena College, but also wanted to
supplement his retirement income
from the proceeds of the sale. The real
estate, which had been purchased for
$50,000, was appraised for $250,000.
If he sold the property, he would have
to pay capital gains taxes of $30,000.
After consulting with his financial
advisors, he placed the real estate into
a charitable remainder trust, which
allowed him to sell the property taxfree. As a result, John was able to earn
income from the entire asset placed in
the trust. John set a trust payout rate of
6% and enjoys a fixed annual income
of $15,000 a year for the rest of his and
his wife’s lives. Upon their deaths, the
trustee will distribute the balance on
hand in the trust to Siena College.
“Alfredo” wanted to make a large
gift to the College, but wasn’t
interested in making a gift of this size
during his lifetime. As a result, he
made a provision in his will leaving
the real estate to Siena College.
Shortly after his death, the real estate
was transferred to the College, sold
by the College and the proceeds
were used to create an endowed
scholarship in his name for future
generations of students attending
Siena College. The real estate was not
subject to an estate tax and his family
did not have to worry about caring
for and selling the real estate.
SIENA 26
If you would like to explore how you
might create a legacy at Siena College
by using real estate or some other asset,
please contact Jack Sise ’75, Esq.,
director of planned giving at
518-783-2432 or jsise@siena.edu.
class notes
ALUMNI
Janice Goca, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Victoria Abdulla ’07
Please submit all of your Class Notes information to your Class Coordinator, or if there is no coordinator
listed for your class, please send all information to alumni@siena.edu for posting in the magazine.
1959
Frank Martin
ftmartin@nycap.rr.com
1962
Ken Deitcher
dukaytravel@att.net
1965
Jack Mulvey, Jr.
jkmulvey@netscape.com
1967
Rick Spataro
rspataro001@twcny.rr.com
61 State Street
Malone, NY 12953
518-483-3566
1968
Bill McGoldrick
bmcgoldrick@wash-mcg.com
1972
Jack Callahan
Jackcallahan33@gmail.com
Dear fellow classmates of 1972: I
really do not know where the time
has gone! I guess we’ve just been
working, raising our families, getting kids through school, paying for
college, and maybe even paying for
weddings. Did I mention working?!
I know extra time has not been a
commodity that has been in great
supply for any of us. Yet, please
take a moment to send in an update
about yourself and what has been
going on for the past 37 years since
we were at Siena. I have lived in
Florida for the last 22 years, and
have not been back to Siena often—
but when the men’s basketball team
came down for last year’s NCAA
tournament, it was wonderful to see
old friends, and meet new friends
from Siena.
Please drop me a line. It would
be good to hear from people, and
I’ll try to coordinate the news.
1973
Brian Valentine
202-586 -9741
bgvalentine@verizon.net
1974
Bob Bainbridge was inducted
into the “Hall of Fame” at
Immaculate Conception High
School (ICHS) in Montclair, N.J.
Bainbridge has served on the Board
of Trustees of ICHS for the past
nine years. Inclusion in the “Hall
of Fame” shows excellence in
athletics; professional life; service as
a Christian model of piety, charity
and selflessness; dedication to
charity and selflessness; or continued commitment to ICHS.
1975
Janet Gutowski Hall
janet.hall@wku.edu
1977
Linda Fitzsimmons
lfitzsimmons@hvc.rr.com
1978
Michael Finnegan recently
graduated from the U.S. Army’s
Basic Officer Leader Course II at
Fort Benning, Ga. After graduating
from Siena, Finnegan had attempted
to serve in active duty several times,
but his attempts never came to
fruition. After retiring from his
job as an investment banker at
J.P. Morgan in April of 2008,
Finnegan asked to be recommissioned into the Army. His request
was approved, and a year later,
Finnegan already has plans to take
the Basic Officer Leader Course III
in Fort Jackson, S.C.
1979
Sue Reilly/
Hayes
CLIFTON522@aol.com
522 Chili-Riga Town Line Road
Churchville, NY 14428
585-889-2072
The last column triggered an
e-mail update from Michele
Williams/Brennan, volunteering
to join the Reunion committee. She
currently resides in Gansevoort,
N.Y. (just north of Saratoga
Springs) with her husband, Dave,
and two sons. David III is 22,
and attends Adirondack Community College. Stephen is a first
year student at Hudson Valley
Community College, and just made
their 2009 Vikings baseball team.
Michelle works for The Martin
Law Firm in Troy and is looking
forward to reconnecting with other
’79ers at the Reunion.
Three cheers for Kerry and
Patty Fitzgibbons/Guthrie’s
younger daughter Erin, who is a
junior goalkeeper for the Rutgers
soccer team and was named second
team All-American this year.
Rutgers made it to the Sweet 16,
losing to Stanford 1-0 in the last
five minutes. “She must get her
athletic skills from Patty!”
quipped Kerry.
Karen Ciervo/Heidenstrom
wrote to pass along some exciting news that I’ll let her report in
her own words: “Mary T. may not
want the press, but I am excited to
report that our own Mary Thurber
was sworn in as Judge of the
Superior Court of New Jersey on
February 24th! Over 35 Superior
Court judges and at least four state
senators attended with over 100
family and friends. Mary has made
quite an impression in her field.
We are all so proud of her, and she
is still as humble and as sweet as
ever. We wish her great wisdom
and success!” Karen reports that
she, Dolores Ryan/Babcock, Pat
Brennan/Jensen, and Mary Jane
Henesy/Brosnan shared the big
day with Mary, and had a great
time visiting with each other and
Mary’s family. Also there in spirit
were Connie Cahill/Sise, unable to
attend at the last minute, and Mary’s
college roomie Lorrie Scardino,
who sent her congratulations from
sunny St. Barts, where she spends
the month of February. Karen and
her friends are also planning their
annual spring get-together, with
Beth Esser/Fargnoli ’80 getting the
ball rolling.
Dave Smith sent an e-mail to
classmates reporting on Reunion
plans and our goal to make 1979
the first class to have 30 President’s
Circle donors ($1,000+) in honor of
our 30th Reunion. One response he
received was from Colonel Kevin
McAleese, deployed to Stuttgart,
Germany for 10 months with the
U.S. Army in Civil Affairs. Kevin
shares, “In my role as Humanitarian Assistance Officer, I work with
third world countries in Europe
that have U.S. interest and assist in
relief projects. It is very rewarding
work that all started 30 years ago
in the ROTC hut at Siena—
amazing! I will soon travel to
Albania and Croatia for these
efforts. Interestingly, my boss is a
Siena grad, Michael Anderson ’78,
who has lived in Germany for 19
years. His e-mail continues, “So ...
add me to the list for the President’s
Circle. Since the economy is so bad,
it makes it even more important to
support the mission of Siena. Your
first instinct is to ‘pull back’ ... but,
in reflection, you have to evaluate
what is important in your life and
what values are worth sustaining
and supporting. Siena is very high
on that list. The greatest years of
my life were at Siena and it is a
small price to pay to ensure the
SIENA 27
agement Association. The Pittsford
firm received the Small Company
Turnaround Award for their work
at Michelman-Cancelliere Iron
Works, Inc., a steel fabrication,
construction and engineering firm
in Bath, Pa. Bellardini and his
associates worked with MichelmanCancelliere to identify and correct
damaging problems within the
corporation. Bellardini and the rest
of JC Jones & Associates will be
honored at an October 28th luncheon at Turnaround Management
Association’s 20th Annual Convention in New Orleans.
LONG ISLAND BOOK CLUB
1987
next generation reaps the rewards of
these traditions.” Dave was inspired
by Kevin’s response (President’s
Circle donors are now at 21 and
counting at press time), but said that
Kevin just had to leave him with one
parting shot, “I’ll be thinking of all
of you on Reunion weekend; but I
hate to rub it in—our beer is better
than yours!”
Dave reports that a highlight of
our 30th reunion celebration will be
the Saturday night reception at
33 Fiddlers Lane, an elegant home
recently acquired by the College.
The property features beautiful
interior (yes, air conditioning!)
and exterior settings for a perfect
June party. I’m looking forward to
catching up with as many of you as
possible there.
I’d like to send a special shoutout to my 3W wing mates Anne
McKenna/Collins and Patty Beam/
Smith (whose son, Michael may
be in Siena’s class of ’13)—it was
so much fun to see you at the 25th
Reunion that I hope you’re planning
on coming again this year—and Lisa
Calvelli/Meyer—please consider a
trip up north for the occasion.
1980
Diane DeSilva
desidian@shenet.org
Diane has offered to be the
class of ’80 News and Notes
Coordinator—thank you, Diane!
Please send your updates to Diane
at the above e-mail address.
James Hartle was appointed
as Chairman of the Board at the
Chamber of Southern Saratoga
County. Before becoming
Chairman, Hartle served on the
Chamber Board for five years.
The Chamber is made up of
approximately 900 area members.
SIENA 28
1981
Ellen Fogarty was recently
inaugurated as the first woman to
serve on the Watervliet City
Council. Fogarty was first
appointed to the Council after
Michael Manning vacated his seat
to become mayor last year. She was
interviewed for the position, and
was chosen for her longstanding
career in the banking industry and
for her impassioned community
involvement. In the November 2008
election, Fogarty ran unopposed to
regain her position.
1982
Bob Young
RYoung60@aol.com
1983
Elvira Altimari-Jaeger
60 Wyatt Road
Garden City, NY 11530
eaj6@optonline.net
Hello, fellow classmates. I have a
few announcements to make. After
many years as a partner in a local
accounting firm, Tom Lindgren has
started his own practice in Kingston, N.Y. Thomas F. Lindgren,
C.P.A. was founded in January
2009. Congratulations Tom, and
good luck in your new endeavor.
We would like to send out a
welcome to Siena’s class of 2013—
especially Sarah Higgins, daughter
of Jackie Klepper-Higgins and
husband Bob.
In order to have an excuse to
get together several times a year, a
group of Long Island Siena alumni
started a book club. The latest
selection was The Book of Mychal
by Michael Daily, about Fr. Mychal
Judge—a Franciscan who was the
NYC Fire Chaplain and died on
9/11/01.
I have been asked to do a
few shout-outs. Where are you
and what have you been up to:
Dan Falvo, Katy Sturgis, and
John Benes? Your classmates
are inquiring about you. Send an
e-mail and let us know! If you have
someone you would like to send a
shout-out to, e-mail me, I will be
glad to oblige.
On a sad note, it has come to my
attention that Michael Salinetti,
a member of the Class of 1983,
passed away in April 2001. It was
never reported in the Alumni News.
I know I speak for many of my
classmates when I say, “Mike, your
infectious smile will be missed.”
1984
Lisa San Fratello/McCutcheon
305 The Parkway
Ithaca, NY 14853
mcclisa@yahoo.com
Congratulations to Matt
Downey who was recently
appointed the director of audit and
quality assurance at the New York
State Higher Education Services
Corporation (HESC).
1985
Catherine & Ron Bjorklund
bjork90@comcast.net
14 Stevens Lane
Tabernacle, NJ 08088-9744
1986
John J. Bellardini and his team
at JC Jones & Associates, LLC,
has recently received national recognition from the Turnaround Man-
Gerry McAndrew
Geraldine.m.candrew@comcast.net
1988
Paula Cacossa
Pc888@comcast.net
1989
Mike
Carbonaro
sienanews.1989@yahoo.com
3140 10th Street
Bethlehem, PA 18020
610 -737-1147
By the time you read these
words, it will be spring. Congratulations to the Steeler Nation on
another Superbowl win. A couple
news items from the class, then an
update about our Reunion.
Diane Muratore/Testa wrote to
report that she had her first baby,
Thérèse Michele, on Valentine’s
Day 2008. Diane works as a tenured
professor at Western New England
College.Congratulations to Diane
and her family.
Diana Porter/Popiel was chosen
by the National Insurance Crime
Bureau (NICB) as Analyst of the
Year in 2008. She was recognized
for her excellence, dedication and
determination in combating insurance fraud for the betterment of the
insurance industry and the public.
She is currently working as a fraud
analyst in the insurance industry.
The big news is the 20th Reunion,
scheduled for June 5-6, 2009. Our
20th Reunion Weekend details will
be sent to you as we get closer to
June to ensure you receive all the
updates. Please update your e-mail
address with the Alumni Office.
Activities include a golf outing on
Friday, followed by a Welcome
Back party at Dapp’s. Saturday will
include the President’s Champagne
Brunch with Distinguished Alumni
Awards, the Family Picnic featuring a DJ followed by Raisin’ Cain
and The Throwbacks, the Alumni
Memorial Mass, and the Class Party
that evening. Our Reunion weekend
Website can be found on Siena’s
Website. Visit it today to review the
plans, and if you have time, please
join the committee to help plan the
festivities. The Reunion committee has set a goal of $25,000 with
20% participation for our class
gift. Your Class of ’89 Reunion
Committee members are Emmet
Finnerty, Greg “Stewy” Stewart,
Michael Lia, Patty Zicari/Doht,
Chris O’Grady, Lee Fraser, Peter
Iwanowicz, Patty Ashe/Nashelsky,
and Danielle Russell/Casamassina.
See you all in June!
1990
Janet Shotter/Swierbut
jswierbut@yahoo.com
Hello Class of ’90! It has been
quite a while since we’ve had
updates to our Class Notes section,
so I’ve volunteered to coordinate
our column. If you have not had a
chance to join the 24/7 Facebook
Reunion—what are you waiting
for? It’s a great way to stay in touch
with old friends and colleagues.
There are many Siena alumni who
I’ve reconnected with recently, so
join the fun. The best part is all the
old photos people can post from
your glory days. Check out my 80’s
hair and dress with giant green bow
that I wore to Siena’s senior dance—
lovely.
I live in Newtown, Conn.
with my husband, Bob, and three
children, and we love it here. It’s
like a town frozen in time, with a
$2 movie theater on Main St., and a
dairy farm down the road that sells
fresh ice cream. I have an 8 year
old daughter, Carly, and two sons.
William is almost 7 and Andrew just
turned 4. I was a marketing director
at McGraw-Hill for many years,
and now work part-time out of my
home as a freelance marketer. I am
always looking for more clients and
project work, so let me know if I
can ever help.
Michele Ferris/Hoffmann lives
in Utah with her husband, Paul, and
is a busy mom to Ryan, who is 6 ½.
They live the outdoor life—snow
mobiling, skiing, and taking trips all
over the West and Northeast—but
I know they would love to move
back to the Lake George area.
Michele works part-time as a
project manager for Novell.
Caroline and Greg Miller live
in Rochester, N.Y. with their three
children, Ryan, 11, Sean, 9, and
Megan, 7. Aside from the usual,
they keep busy maintaining “The
Miller X-Games” at their house—
with an ice rink in the backyard,
and snowboarding ‘snow mountain’
in front! Caroline is also an active
volunteer and sub at her children’s
school. Greg, a CPA, was made
partner in his firm a few years ago.
Two years ago, he was a recipient of the “40 Under 40” award
in Rochester, which honors those
under 40 who have made significant
contributions in the business sector,
as well as in their community. We
always knew that this couple would
get it right!
I’m sure there are lots of exciting
life events that you’d love to share
with our class, so please send them
to me. You can reach me through
e-mail at jswierbut@yahoo.com, or
drop me a line through Facebook.
May these next few months be
happy ones for everyone.
1991
Kevin Clarke
Siena91@optonline.net
Hello Class of 1991!
Congratulations to Melissa
Cocozza/Faiola and her husband,
Lou, who are thrilled to announce
the birth of their son, Nicholas. He
arrived on September 4, 2008 and
joins big sister, Isabella. Melissa and
Lou are living in Connecticut and
having a great time.
Congratulations also go to Tim
Sullivan and his wife, Karen, who
are proud to announce the birth of
their daughter, Abigail Glen. She
arrived in November, and her big
sister, Molly, is very excited to have
a little sister. Tim and Karen are
living in N.H., and enjoying their
family, the outdoors and skiing.
This is a big year for most of us—
the big 40! We have shared many
things together over the years—so
let’s see what everyone did or has
planned for this milestone. A trip,
a party, a night out with friends, or
dinner home with loved ones—how
did you do it?
Send me your notes, or just drop
me a line to catch up—nothing is
too small to mention!
1992
Mary Pat McLoughlin/Holler
jmpholler@optonline.net
1992
NEWSMAKER
Susan Hannon shannon@ryeneck.k12.ny.us
213 W 252nd Street
Riverdale, NY 10471
917-796 -2085
1994
Glenn Hofsess
gh@endcap.com
83 Kellogg Street
Brookfield, CT 06804
1995 Neil Wilcove
nwilcove@fmglaw.com
Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 1600
Atlanta, GA 30339
770 -818 -1430
Julie Bollenbacher/Reilley
and her husband, Patrick, along
with big sister Claire, welcomed
Paige Caroline Reilley on
November 13, 2008.
Julie Harrington/Anderson
just celebrated her tenth anniversary working as a physician’s
assistant for Elizabethtown
Community Hospital. She and
her husband Tom have four beautiful children, Connor Stewart,
who was born on September 24,
1999, Sarah Patricia, who was
born on September 28, 2001,
Erica Rose, who was born on
December 29, 2004 and Anna
Kathryn, who was born on
December 10, 2006.
Bill O’Keefe and his wife,
Autumn, welcomed their second
child, a beautiful girl named Siena
Marie O’Keefe, on December 6,
2008. Siena joins big brother,
Owen, who is very proud to be a
big brother. Awesome name!
Well done, Bill!
Megan McCarthy/Foy and
her husband, Jeff, are thrilled to
announce the birth of their first
child, Kaelyn Anne. She was born
on October 27, 2008.
Jennifer Ferone/VanDenburgh
and her husband, John ’92,
announced the birth of their
daughter, Riley Elizabeth, on
September 9, 2008. She joins big
brother, Luke, age three.
1996
Brian Murray
murray21@hotmail.com
bmurray@betterbackschiropractic.
com
614-270 -6003
John Bellardini ’86
Recipient of the Small
Company Turnaround
Award
1997
Selena Dutcher
selena.dutcher@regentcomm.com
bronx_bombers25@yahoo.com
518 -265 -2127
The birds are chirping, the Yankees
are playing, and I’m checking
Facebook! Does that update work for
everyone? Well for me it’s the “busy
season.” Radio seems to “pick up” as
the weather breaks. For those of you
who don’t know—I plan WGNA’s
Countryfest—the largest one-day
concert event in the Northeast, for
30,000 people! It has become my
“baby” of sorts—and I work on it
from October to July. That’s my
update. Here are some that you
sent in.
Brooke Levandowski finished
her Ph.D. in epidemiology from
the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill in May 2008. She is
currently employed at Ipas—a small
not-for-profit, working on women’s
health issues in Africa.
Jeena Akkara/Madden, her
husband Sean, and big brother Jake
welcomed Rosie Maria in August
2008.
Marybeth Miner/Finerty and
her husband, Keith, welcomed Ella
Katherine in September 2008!
Linda Dirmeir/Magliaro and her
husband, Luigi, welcomed Massimo
(Max) Luigi into the world on
September 27, 2008. He joins his big
sister Sarah who loves him to pieces.
Tara Wright/Baker and her
husband, Hamilton, celebrated the
first birthday of their daughter, Ellen
Gail, in October 2008.
Kimberly Cullen/Cappelleri and
her husband Frank welcomed Jack
Elwood Cappelleri into the world on
February 9th. All three are doing well
… congratulations!
SIENA 29
2001
Maura Mack
sienanotes01@gmail.com
Greg Sack married Jennifer
Salomon on April 19, 2008. They
traveled to China for their
honeymoon and visited five cities.
Greg started his own company
called Bongo International
www.BongoUS.com and is doing
very well.
2002
Congratulations to Marisa
Leary/Hungershafer! Marisa was
a dedicated student at Siena, and
is now dedicated to her students.
As a special education teacher at
Marie Curie Elementary School
in Amsterdam, N.Y., Marisa was a
recipient of the 2008 Office Max “A
Day Made Better” award. Annually,
1,300 elementary educators across
the nation are awarded this honor,
and over $1,000 in supplies. Way to
go, Marisa!
To learn more about this honor
please see www.adaymadebetter.
com.
I hope by the time you read this,
we are finally enjoying some nice
“outdoors” weather. Moving on to
your news: checking in was Brian
Cunniff, who sent us a photo of his
wedding celebration. Brian married
Caroline Ryan on October 28, 2006.
The happy couple lives in Long
Branch, N.J., and are the proud
parents of a seven-month-old
daughter named Elena. Brian works
for C&A Financial Group and
Caroline is a registered nurse at
Monmouth Medical Center. She is
currently studying for her
master’s degree to become a nurse
practitioner.
Christopher Freeman (son of
Siena Class of 1976 Alumnus
Aloysius Freeman and Mary
Cahill/Freeman) married Adi
Abramovici ’02 in Lake Placid, N.Y.
on June 6, 2008. Best wishes to you
both!
Anastazia Feodosia was born to
Susan Opar-Valachovic (2000) and
her husband Edward Valachovic
on December 15, 2008. Susan is a
family physician in Tacoma, Wash.,
serving in the U.S. Army. Her
husband is a statistician working for
the state of Washington.
­
Shaymus R. Schweitzer
SienaSaints2000@hotmail.com
103 Sherman Ave.
Troy, NY 12180
518-727-3392
2000
­
­
SIENA 30
Thomas Edward Bouyea, on
July 15, 2008.
Classmates Kate Sweeney/
Chapman and Rob Chapman, also
welcomed a beautiful baby boy,
Robert Joseph, “RJ,” on January 8,
2009.
Christine Cinnamond
christine.cinnamond@gmail.com
646-942-0970
Brendan Fitzgerald
nyfitzgerald@yahoo.com
fitzgeb@assembly.state.ny.us
518-258-9272
­
1999
Congratulations to Meg Allessio/
Duquette, who recently began a
new job as an associate at Cohen
Kinne Valicenti & Cook LLP. Meg’s
practice focuses on corporate law
and business transactions.
Jessica Zaborowski recently
opened Camp Stanley for the
Performing Arts, an overnight
creative arts summer camp located
in beautiful Smithfield, Maine.
Camp Stanley’s total theatre model
encourages 8-17 year old campers to
grow into their creative capacity in
a gorgeous and green space. Check
out CS at www.mycampstanley.com
for more information. Best of luck
with this exciting endeavor, Jessica!
Happy to report on some recent
nuptials: Stephanie Slivanik
married Mario Payssé in Miami, Fla.
on November 15, 2008. The couple
reside in Coconut Grove, and Siena
alumni in attendance included:
Maureen Terry, Janine Anderalli,
Kara Travers, Jennifer Strang,
Erin Hallinan, Nicole WalkerSlivanik ’97 and Greg Slivanik ’97,
and Kate Ferguson. See photo.
Also, Todd Sabatino and Carolyn
Hickey ’00 tied the knot on
October 12, 2008, in Virginia. Siena
guests in attendance included: Brian
Galvin, Andre Gordon, Bill Hisgen,
Brian Chapin ’00, Kelly Boyer/
Chapin ’00, Mora HazlettO’Neill ’00, Daniella Valente/
Redgrave ’00, and Suzanne
Turchetti ’00. See photo.
Jen (Quinn) and Joe DeMarco
were married on June 28, 2008, at
Our Lady of Grace in Hoboken,
N.J., and hosted their reception at
the Hyatt Regency on the Hudson
River in Jersey City, N.J. After a
two week honeymoon to the Greek
Islands, they reside in Hoboken,
N.J. Jen is an executive assistant
at Atticus Capital and Joe is an
associate at Highbridge Capital
Management—both in Manhattan.
See photo. Best wishes to you all.
Proud parents Mara Gallagher/
Bouyea and her husband, Jeff
Bouyea, welcomed a little boy,
Greetings, Class of 1998!
I don’t know about the rest of
you, but I am VERY ready for
Spring to arrive and for all of this
snow to finally melt. Hopefully
by the time this issue reaches you
spring will be in the air.
I have a couple of more exciting
updates to report this issue: Laura
Cardea/Cowan was married to
Daniel Alexander Cowan II on
June 7, 2008, at the Beardsley Zoo
in Conn. Laura also sent me a photo
from the festivities; I submitted it to
be published in this issue, so please
look for it in the photo section.
The New Year brought good
news from Julie Brennan. In
January, she accepted the position
of vice president of admissions and
program marketing for Berkshire
Farm Center & Services for Youth,
a state-wide, private, non-profit
child welfare agency. Julie was
very kind to credit the education
and experiences she received at
Siena, specifically the social work
department, to her career/life
accomplishments.
Lastly, I wanted to personally
reach out to Lenore and Rachael …
you know who you are! My
voicemail suspiciously cut out
before I could get your phone
numbers, and it appears the Alumni
Office doesn’t have your updated
info on file, so I have been unable
to reach you. Please reach out to
me again.
I’d like to urge each of you to
keep Siena updated with your most
Janine Trapp/Scotti, MBA
201-294-0395
sienasaints98@yahoo.com
Keep the stories coming. The rest
of your classmates will appreciate
reading about you. Even if you just
have a funny story, drop me a line—
I’ll put it in. (If not, I’ll have to start
using Facebook and MySpace as
a source for Class Notes updates!
You wouldn’t want that, would
you?)
1998
recent address, phone number, and
e-mail address. It’s easy—simply
send it to alumni@siena.edu or
update it yourself on the alumni
Website using your alumni log-in
information. For questions or
assistance, please contact the
Office of Alumni Relations at
518-783-2430.
Please keep the updates coming,
Class of ’98. I enjoy hearing from
each of you, and would love to
share your accomplishments with
our fellow classmates.
Steve Tobin (Yankee Trails),
and his wife, Angela, gave birth to
a healthy baby boy, Mark Joseph
Tobin, on Tuesday, November 4th
at Albany Medical Center. The baby
weighed 6 lbs. 10 oz.
Now, with more ways than ever,
you can contact me with your
updates. I want to hear from you—
babies, weddings, job promotions—
anything! Stay connected, and
keep others connected with your
updates.
Remember, to make a submission
for the newsletter, please contact
me by e-mail at selena.dutcher@
regentcomm.com or bronx_
bombers25@yahoo.com. You can
also look me up on Facebook. If
you want to touch base, and chat
for a while, give me a call at
518-265-2127. I look forward to
hearing from you!
2003
Gina Gizzi
sienasaints_2003@hotmail.com
P.O. Box 5133
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-421-4316
Rebecca Aney and Casey
McCanta were married on
September 6, 2008 at St. Mary’s
Church in Ballston Spa, N.Y.,
followed by a reception at the
Canfield Casino in Saratoga
Springs, N.Y. Due to Hurricane
Hannah, it rained hard all day long.
Luckily, they had a gorgeous
honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii. A
picture is included in this issue.
From left to right—front row: John
Carter, Amanda Kelly/Engels,
Rebecca Aney/McCanta (bride),
Casey McCanta (groom), Vicki
Dunham, Karleigh Twigg, Jon
Antista. Back Row: Erin Barber/
Lupe, Phil Lupe, Andrea Craparo,
Greg Graves, Brian Reinke, Britt
Davis, Joanne Kerins, Joe
Bobacher, Steve Graziano, Mike
Mangina, Jennifer Fahr and
Kristin Shahay/Mootz. Casey and
Rebecca are now in the process of
looking for a home in the Saratoga
Springs area. On May 2, 2008,
Leigh Naughter married Chris
Cannucciari ’02 at our very own
Siena College Chapel. They
honeymooned in St. Lucia.
Kathleen Ruggiero contacted
me with a lot of great updates. She
received her Master of Science
in Education in May 2007 from
Queens College and is currently
completing her fifth year of
teaching. She is certified in both
childhood education and students
with disabilities for grades 1-6 in
New York State. She became
engaged in November 2008 to a
wonderful man named Daniel
Lopez, whom she met while
vacationing in Puerto Rico during
the summer of 2007. Soon after,
he followed her to Queens to be
closer to her and his family in N.J.
2004
Jolleen
Wagner
jolleen_wagner@yahoo.com
Class of 2004, did you know
that it is our Reunion year?! We
have been invited back to Siena
to celebrate our five year reunion,
reconnect with the green and gold,
and catch up with one another.
Will YOU be there? Whether
we see you or not, please be sure
to send updates regarding your
accomplishments and successes,
both personal and professional,
so that we can all celebrate with
you. You can send them to jolleen_
wagner@yahoo.com, and I will be
sure to include them in the next
issue of Siena News.
In the meantime, we do have a
few congratulations in order for this
issue. First, great job Colin May!
May earned and was awarded a
master of science degree in forensic
studies from Stevenson University
in Md. this past December 15.
Also, congratulations Maya Nanda
and Purvin Peter Lapsiwala who
married in Charlotte, N.C. at the
Hilton Charlotte University Place.
May your lives together be blessed
and joyful.
Congratulations to Sarah
Bardin/Lindsell who has received
CPA designation. Sarah is a senior
associate in accounting, assurance
and advisory services for the
Certified Public Accounting Firm
CMJ, LLP. Sarah joined the firm
in 2003. A native of Glens Falls,
N.Y., she currently resides with her
family in Granville, N.Y.
2005
Breanne Suhrland
bsuhrlan@att.net
Hello Class of 2005! I would
like to first thank all of my fellow
classmates for reaching out and
starting off my first column with
a lot of great news to share. Since
I spent many of my days at Siena
studying in Roger Bacon Hall,
many of you may not know me, so
let me introduce myself. I am from
Massapequa N.Y., and have been
teaching high school biology for
the last four years in the Oceanside
School District in Long Island,
N.Y. While teaching approximately
85 ninth graders every day has
its moments, I thoroughly enjoy
what I do. Recently, I received my
master’s degree from C.W. Post
Long Island University in Earth
Science Adolescent Education and
am hoping to teach that some day
as well.
Many of us have probably spent
much of the winter months trying
to stay warm. I remember those
frigid days at Siena, walking across
campus to class in piles and piles
of snow, but I never expected to
see such a winter down here in
Long Island. Kudos to you Capital
Region natives who have braved
the cold all your lives. I’m ready
for spring! With wedding season
upon us, it brings an opportunity to
share a number of engagements and
wedding announcements.
We are extremely excited to
announce the engagement of
Courtney McHale and Captain
David Humphrey II, M.D. last
August 2008. Courtney and Dave
met at Albany Medical College. Not
only will Courtney graduate this
May from Albany Med, but she and
Dave will be married this summer,
August 29, 2009, in Congers, N.Y.
Wedding bells are ringing for
another 2005 alum this year.
Bridget Munn and Randall
Kimball II ’03 were engaged on
October 24, 2008. They will be
married on October 10, 2009.
Philip Cafaro and Michelle
Gariepy were also engaged recently,
on January 24th in Albany, N.Y.
They anticipate a September 2010
wedding. Four members of their
bridal party are Siena graduates.
Congratulations, best of luck and
endless happiness in your marriage
and career.
In other news, Elizabeth
Kirmss was married to James
Keating on November 1, 2008.
Their wedding was held at the New
Hyde Park Inn in Long Island, N.Y.
They currently reside in Fishkill,
N.Y. where Elizabeth is finishing
her master’s degree in school
counseling.
Cristina Sabia married John
Luft on June 1, 2008, at the Hall
of Springs in Saratoga, N.Y.
Guests from Siena included Kerry
Andolina ’06, Kevin Pattamana ’02,
and Kevin Grand-Jean. A second
reception was celebrated with
Cristina’s family in their native
town of Ascea, Italy, on June 7th.
Cristina is a Spanish teacher in the
Greater Amsterdam School District.
The couple resides in Clifton Park.
Kristen Pero and Michael
Devino, Jr., were married on
November 15, 2008 in Burlington,
Vt. Many of her guests and
bridesmaids were Siena grads.
Kristen Scanlon ’06, Gina
DeMarco ’06, Kerri Granger ’06,
Jennifer Stenman/Telesky ’06,
and Christa Fasano ’06. The
couple now resides in Winsted,
Conn., and Kristen works as the
senior communications specialist
at Saint Francis Hospital and
Medical Center.
Moving away from weddings
and engagements, we would
like to feature one of our fellow
classmates, who is making quite the
impact on the greater Boston area.
Justin Fugo is currently working
on his master’s in philosophy at
Boston College. He started at BC
last fall, and plans to graduate in
May 2010. Along with his studies
in philosophy, he works at BC
through his assistantship in the
Office of International Programs as
an advising assistant. Justin works
with students who are planning to
study abroad, helping to provide
them with general information,
requirements for studying abroad,
and direction on the location of
where they would like to study.
Overall, he is thoroughly enjoying
his experience as a Bostonian.
Jennifer Logigian plans to
spend the summer of 2009 riding
her bicycle across central United
States in an effort to raise money
for affordable housing. Working
with an organization called Bike
and Build, she is striving to provide
awareness, visibility and affordable
funding for the housing crisis in
America. This two-month trip
will take her through 12 different
states and include ten different
“build sites” in which she and
29 other riders will physically be
working on the homes that their
fundraising money is subsidizing.
You can donate to Bike and Build,
and specify the rider in whose name
you’re donating, directly on their
Website: www.BikeandBuild.org.
Congratulations and best
wishes to all who were featured in
this edition. It is so great to hear
from all of you, and share in the
excitement of each others’ lives.
Please feel free to e-mail me with
NEWSMAKER
Sarah Bardin Lindsell ’04
Received CPA
designation
all types of news, big or small!
It would be great to hear from
everyone, so get the word out that
the Class of ’05 column is alive
and well. With warmer days ahead,
hopefully I’ll be writing the next
edition’s column with sand between
my toes. Thank you all again.
2006
Chris Elsesser
Christopher.elsesser@gmail.com
Ashley Boland
Ashleym.boland@gmail.com
Happy New Year, fellow
2006ers! We hope this edition of
Siena News finds you and your
families in good health and in
decent spirits. This quarter has been
surprisingly quiet on the 2006 news
and gossip line, which is something
that Ashley and I have decided to
blame on the American economy
and blustery cold Northeast winter
we have experienced. Despite
having an e-mail inbox full of
crickets, we do have a few things to
share with you this issue.
We have two weddings that we
are excited to announce this
quarter. Our classmate, Jill
Comley, married Christopher
Gandolfo ’05 on June 21, 2008, on
the Siena College campus. (I’ve
said it once and I’ll say it again,
nothing beats a true Green and
Gold wedding!) In other wedding
news, David Auringer married his
senior year sweetheart, Noreen
Wunderlich on December 6, 2008.
Many 2006ers were on hand to
celebrate their special day. Congratulations to both newlywed
couples! Please be sure to check out
each couple’s special Siena wedding
photo in this issue.
We also had the chance this
quarter to catch up with one of
SIENA 31
the Class of 2006’s most popular
musical talents, Christian Crescitelli. Christian is currently working
as an account executive for Nestle
in Los Angeles, Calif., where he
manages Nestle’s product line of
Buitoni Pasta and Tollhouse Cookie
Dough. He is also responsible for
a sales team of 13 people. This
is his 4th different position with
the company since graduation!
Although he is a rising MVP in
one of Siena’s favorite companies,
he still finds time to work on his
music career, and is proud to report
that he recently agreed to a record
deal with Atlantic Records in Los
Angeles. Christian would like to
give a shout-out to the ‘fellas’ of
TH 109 and his alumni soccer
buddies. He also wanted to make
sure that we said hello to his study
abroad buddy, Mike Coyle. Good
luck Christian! Please let us know
when we can get your music on
iTunes!
To steal a line from The Boss,
Bruce Springsteen, we say to you:
Class of 2006, “Is anyone alive out
there?!” The spring is as good a
time as ever to reach out to us, and
let us know what you have been up
to. If you have already contributed
to our space a while ago, either send
us a new update or urge a friend to
share their news for the first time.
Ashley and I would like to wish
you the best for a terrific 2009, and
look forward to talking with you
soon. Go Saints!
2007
Sean Robbins
PO Box 11222
Loudonville, NY 12211
SeanRobbins@att.net
Michael Utzig
mutzig@siena.edu
Hello, Class of 2007! With spring
in full bloom, it’s only a short time
until summer approaches. While
it might be exciting to plan ahead
for the summer, it is good to take a
moment to contemplate the special
magic and promise of spring’s
renewal and the possibilities it
brings us to realize our hopes and
aspirations. It is equally exciting
to see how much the Class of 2007
is accomplishing, nearly two years
since graduation.
Laura Darling reports that
she is currently in her second
year at Albany Law School. Last
summer she had the opportunity to work for Prisoner’s Legal
Services of Albany, and she has
been accepted into Albany Law’s
SIENA 32
year-long clinical program, the
Family Violence Litigation Clinic.
This program provides pro bono
legal help to victims of domestic
violence. Laura also says she has
been afforded the great opportunity to be sworn in to the limited
practice of law and argue real cases.
If these accomplishments were not
incredible enough, Laura has also
been able to restart the Albany Law
student newspaper, and was recently named editor-in-chief. When
Laura is not busy on campus or in
the courtroom, she also spends her
time volunteering with the members
of her clinic at local high schools
and women’s shelters.
Another Class of 2007 alumnus,
Eric Jasuta, reports that after
receiving his master’s in special
education from Dowling College,
he has moved back to the Capital
Region. Currently, Eric teaches an
academic skills class at the middle
school in the Lansingburgh School
District.
The above represents just a
glimpse into the myriad of activities
and accomplishments of Siena’s
Class of 2007. Let us know how
you are doing. We look forward to
hearing your story.
Until the next issue, Mike and I
wish you continued joy and success,
and we can hardly wait to talk with
you again in the summer.
2008
Danielle Grasso
Patrick Preston
SienaCollege2008@gmail.com
Hey, everyone. We hope that
everyone is doing well, and made
it through our wonderful winter
weather. It was really great to see
everyone and catch up at the Siena
game in December. We’re hoping
that we can get something together
and do it again soon. If anyone has
any ideas about that, contact us,
and hopefully we can set something
up. We haven’t heard any news
from people recently, so we’re
hoping that when you read this,
you will update us with something.
Remember—our e-mail address is
SienaCollege2008@gmail.com.
As for the two of us, things are
still going well at our jobs, and
we’re enjoying them. Pat has made
his triumphant return to the Capital
Region, and is enjoying his time
living in Watervliet. I’m still enjoying life in the city. Stay warm and
keep busy, everyone. Hope to hear
from you guys soon!
In Memory of:
Francis R. DeRossi ’43
Francis J. Harrington ’43
William Graham Bode, D.D.S. ’46
Orfeo Franzoin ’49
Donald Havern ’49
Col. William F. Herbert, USA (Ret.) ’49
Robert King ’49
Joseph M. LoGuidice ’49
Raymond J. Manny ’49
Colin O’Rourke ’49
Vincent F. Pennisi ’49
John Sherlock ’49
Robert H. Witthoft ’49
Richard J. Burda ’51
Nicholas M. Danza ’51
Thomas F. Downey ’51
Francis DuCharme ’51
Francis J. Hynes ’51
Walter F. Klee ’51
James “Harry” Meyer ’51
Ernest Passaretti, D.D.S. ’51
Edward Pigan ’51
John A. Ryan ’51
Anthony Sano ’51
Joseph A. Platania ’52
Charles H. Conley, Jr. ’53
Robert H. Feeney ’53
John Guarnier ’53
Joseph A. Goliber ’54
James F. Cavanaugh ’55
Jacob “Jack” Cohen ’55
Edward A. Marcil ’57
Arnold C. Peer ’58
Linda J. Sheldon ’60
Ann McMenamin ’61
Joseph Biviano ’61
William J. Boff ’62
Robert F. Matt ’62
Aniello Pepe ’62
Michael G. Sullivan ’62
James Clukey ’63
John F. Faraci ’63
Jack Burke ’64
Thomas J. Maguire ’65
Edward J. Coleman ’68
Joseph S. Gaba ’67
William Keon ’68
Jerry G. Smith ’68
Robert E. Finn ’72
William E. Lord ’74
E. Michael McLoughlin ’76
Brian G. Shafer ’76
Thomas F. Bennett III ’77
Patrick C. Poolet ’79
Paul J. Cote ’80
Michael Salinetti ’83
Janet Johnson Lucier ’93
Karen L. Shepard ’97
weddings
co
Mar
married Joe De
Jen Quinn ’01
08.
on June 28, 20
ne Morgan on July 12, 2008.
Shannon Woods ‘94 married Sheri
Erin McKnight ’05 mar
ried Chris Daley ’05 on
June 14, 2008.
Brian Cunniff ’00
married Caroline
Ryan on October
28, 2006.
arried Jeff
pietro ’99 m
Anne Mastro
r 2, 2007.
be
em
ov
3 on N
Dorrance ’9
Stephanie Slivanik ’01
married Mario Paysse on
November 15, 2008.
SIENA 33
Jill Comley ’06 ma
rried Christopher
Gandolfo ’05 on
June 21, 2008.
Maya Nanda ’04 married Purv
in Peter Lapsiwala.
Canta ’03
married Casey Mc
Rebecca Aney ’03
.
08
20
6,
er
mb
on Septe
r ’03 married
Leigh Naughte
2008.
2 on May, 2,
’0
ri
cia
uc
nn
Chris Ca
Carolyn Hickey ’00
batino ’01 married
Todd Sa
Auringer ’06
’06 married David
Noreen Wunderlich
08.
20
6,
r
be
cem
De
on
SIENA 34
Greg Sack ’99 married
Jennifer Salomon on
April 19, 2008.
08.
on October 12, 20
Laura Cardea
’98 married Da
niel Alexande
r Cowan II on
June 7, 2008.
Siena’s Ultimate Family
By Jim Eaton
Congratulations to the Papa Family on earning the title The Ultimate Siena Family! In the last issue we asked our
alumni to send us your Siena family tree. Thank you for the numerous submissions we received. It is obvious
that our alumni have a lot of Siena pride! When we informed the alumni who responded to this contest we
often heard, “Hey I went to Siena with a Papa.”
Below is a list of our top five Siena families.
Watch for our next contest in an upcoming issue!
1. Papa Family - 31 members attended. Graduates range from 1947 - 2013.
2. Litz Family - 18 members attended. Graduates range from 1950 - 2012.
3. Sgambati Family - 16 members attended. Graduates range from 1943 - 2007.
4. Bills Family - 13 family members attended. Graduates range from 1951- 2009.
5. Catalano Family - 11 members attended. Graduates range from 1944 - 2009.
SIENA 35
SIENAcollege
515 Loudon Road
Loudonville NY 12211-1462
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Cert no. SW-COC-002556
Reunion is June 5 and 6:
Register online at www.siena.edu/reunion.